Dudley's Visit
by Lara Hillins
Summary: Draco and Harry are living in Grimmauld place sometime after the war, but Harry has never mentioned anything about his childhood. What happens when Dudley comes to visit, wanting Harry to talk to Aunt Petunia about being more accepting of magic?


"HARRY!" From the top floor of Grimmauld place Harry heard the apparently horrified yell, and turned to rush down the stairs.

"What's happened this time?" He thought. "Has he found another grey hair or wrinkle? No last time he just destroyed a floor without yelling. Has he found Kreacher dead? He wouldn't be horrified then, just find me quietly to remove the body for him. What the hell am I running towards then?"

"HARRY! GET DOWN HERE!" Malfoy's voice rang through the house again, making his partner ever more thankful that they had eventually destroyed the portrait of Sirius's mother with a liberal use of muggle paint dissolver.

"Alright! I'm coming. What's the emergency?" Harry called in reply, on the second floor by then.

Draco became visible at the bottom of the stairs. "There's some muggle here claiming he's your relative and needs your help."

Harry frowned, hurrying to the doorway to see who could almost have been a thinner version of the Uncle Vernon he'd grown up with. "Draco, you might need to help me with this, but I'm not certain." He muttered thoughtfully as he passed to be nearest to the door.

"Hi Dudley, what help do you need?" Harry asked, smiling, ignoring the past which Draco still hadn't been told about.

His cousin shifted uncomfortably. "Who's your friend?" He asked quietly.

"Dudley, this is Draco Malfoy, a pureblood wizard so just about the exact opposite of you. Literally brought up to despise muggles just as much as you were brought up to despise magic." Harry laughed, thinking about how similar and different the two men in the hallway were.

"And the man who is trying to teach Harry some manners." Draco smiled, moving to finally allow access down to the kitchen where they normally invited guests. "Come in, would you like some tea while you explain what's brought you looking for Harry?"

Following Harry, Dudley looked curiously around as they went to the kitchen. "Yes thank you, but first can I ask why there's a pure white canvas framed in the hall way?"

The two wizards laughed before Harry started explaining. "I had to find some way to convince Draco that some muggle things weren't complete rubbish and she did my head in, always shouting about blood traitors, half-breeds, mudbloods. It was simple to use paint striper on her however old the portrait was. Reminded me of Aunt Marge somedays, except she hated everyone completely, even when there was a properly raised heir of the Black family brought here."

"Properly raised but also corrupted by the saviour of the world," Draco added. "She was more shocked by me dating Harry than the fact I'm actively supporting the defeat of the dark... Voldemort, sorry Harry."

"Who is it you're talking about? I asked about a painting not a woman, and why apologise to Harry?" Dudley quizzed, getting confused by the exchange.

"Wizard paintings can act like the people they were of and the one that used to be on the white canvas was pretty insulting. Draco is apologising because he still struggles with saying the name of someone who he once followed. You had my Uncle and slowly came to understand that I wasn't all evil but Draco had far more difficulty coming to the same conclusion, even if he..." Harry started not thinking much about what he might say at first. "Okay, for your safety Dudley I think we should change subjects. What do you need my help with?"

Draco looked at Harry sharply. "Even if I what Harry?" He asked curiously, at the same time as Dudley asked, "Can you help me talk mum around to... erm, well, there's this woman I met the other day who I'm now 90% certain is a witch but you know how mum'll react if..."

Harry could only stare at his cousin for a moment. "You want me, the freak, the boy who was kept in a cupboard for eleven years, to talk Aunt Petunia around to accepting magic? Pigs will fly before that happens Dudley and you know it. What's the name of this woman anyway?"

The muggle paled as he saw the glare forming on the former Slytherin's face, but still answered his cousin calmly apart from a slight stammer. "I-I was h-hoping you'd be able to talk to Mum, at least to try and convince her it isn't all evil. She's called Cho Chang, and keeps jumping about a mile in the air over some everyday things occasionally."

Harry sighed, still ignoring the reaction Draco was showing to information he deliberately hid. "Ravenclaw, two years above us, pretty upset after Cedric died but supported the side of the light all the way through. Last I heard she'd given up on magic to some degree."

"Harry." Draco growled, hating being ignored but understanding why Harry was avoiding it. "What do you mean 'kept in a cupboard'?"

"Should I go now?" Dudley asked, standing up as though there'd actually been a threat to him in the question.

"I'd say yes, but Draco is pretty good at deciding what should happen himself, so I'd sit down until I've at least got the worst of his reaction out of the way." Harry replied, watching his lover carefully. "Draco I meant what I said. I lived in the cupboard under the stairs until my first Hogwarts letter came. They moved me after seeing it was addressed even down to the room I was staying in, then when that didn't work ran. Next question about Potter's childhood please?"

"Why did call yourself a freak?" Draco asked immediately.

"Because that's what he was called, all his life by Dad, Mum and I. Well Dad sometimes called him 'Boy' but not often." Dudley answered, noticing the tension Harry was under because of a past he denied being brought up.

"Why haven't you told me any of this before Harry?" Draco was still focused on his lover, but calmer now some of the shock of the revelations about his childhood came up.

Harry glared in a way he hadn't done since before the war. "Why would I tell you about my horrid childhood when you were so convinced I was pampered at home? Why would I remember that your insults and attacks never really effected me because I was used to them from Dudley, only he went for physical attacks? Why would I point out that I spent my childhood slaving in the garden or kitchen, treated as little more than a house elf? Why would I want to remember all that Draco? Answer me that!" Harry half yelled, hating the subject and knowing anything he could say would only make things worse.

Draco stood, raising his wand to point it at Dudley, but Harry moved at the same time to stand in the way. "Dudley had to some extent learnt the error of his ways before I turned 17 so I doubt there's any need to punish him now Draco." Harry said after taking a deep breath.

"I think there's every need to punish someone who harmed and bullied my boyfriend, enough that you can still automatically react to phrases badly without explaining why." Draco said, deathly calm, but extremely angry from the glint in his eyes.

Harry laughed humourlessly. "Look in the mirror Draco, you could have been who Dudley was easily, except your hate came from rejected friendship at first instead of from your parents influence, although that soon became a part of it. It's not like I didn't give Dudley some scaring as well. I believe he's still terrified of snakes after I accidentally set one on him on his birthday one year. I don't blame him anymore, in fact I think he actually thought about me in the last 2 summers I spent at Privet Drive, after that dementor attack. Did I forget to pass the truth of that rumour on to you as well? The ministry did send dementors after me in the summer before our fifth year."

Dudley had been frozen from the moment he was faced with Draco's wand, but now he slowly registered what was being said. "The ministry sent those after you?" He asked, fear trembling in his voice.

"Yes, and no, they were sent by someone Draco followed who wasn't inherently evil apparently. The scars on my hand say otherwise though. Why don't we all have a nice sit down again while I explain about our Defence teacher in 5th year and Draco decides whether she needs punishing just as much as you apparently do?" Harry suggested, trying to move the focus onto any other topic, even if it was just as uncomfortable for him to discuss.

Draco winced. "Snakes, Dementors, and scars on your hand? Anything else that Harry could do with explaining about?" He asked, knowing from their time together that there were some scars on Harry's hand but hadn't looked too closely at them before then, placing them as a side effect of the war and nothing to do with their schooling.

"Dudley, look at the scars and tell me what they say." Harry ordered, holding the back of his hand out to Dudley so he could look at it.

Dudley narrowed his eyes as he tried to makes sense of them, well aware Draco was still scowling at him and wondering why Harry hadn't let him read them. "I must not tell lies?" He muttered, looking up curiously. "Why does your hand say I must not tell lies?"

"Because a power crazy, children hating, ministry worker who got placed as our Defense teacher was very fond of using a blood quill, as well as insisting that Voldemort hadn't come back to life and power. She and the inquisitorial squad led by Malfoy were rather appreciative of causing pain and troubles for everyone else. In fact I likely got as much detention through her inquisitorial squad as I did through the toad herself." Harry explained, looking only at Dudley, knowing Draco would be upset and confused when he realised just how much Professor Umbridge had been evil.

"She was the one who sent the dementors after us?" Dudley asked, fear sparking in his eyes when he remembered that alleyway and how he felt then.

Harry shuddered a little, still no happier with dementors than he had been in third year. "Yes, and told me so in a rather sticky situation about her plan to catch me out and force me to use underage magic. Although Madam Bones was rather supportive of the impressive fact that at age 15 I could already produce a corporeal patronus at the trial. Draco do you know whether the toad still works for the ministry?" Harry asked, finally turning to see his lover's reaction.

"Department of Law Enforcement, constant troubles with Aurors arguing against her demands for paperwork to be filled out the night of arrest." Draco replied automatically, looking like he didn't know what to do and was deathly pale.

Dudley looked between them, "Should we go back to a subject that will make him angry while he collects his thoughts?" He suggested, remembering how Harry had worried over his relatives even if they treated him badly.

"Good idea. We'll go onto the snake incident. That was on your birthday wasn't it? The year I turned 11, and got to go to the zoo on your birthday because Arabella Figg had broken an ankle and couldn't look after me that day so there was no other option of what to do with me. You had been shouting in the morning while I was making breakfast. You had counted there were "36 presents but last year last year you got 37"." Harry quoted, sneering at Dudley, a habit he'd picked up from Draco but only actually showed occasionally. "With the promise of 2 new presents from the shop, after Aunt Marge's present was pointed out making 37 and Piers having been dropped off we headed off for a lovely day at the zoo which went well through the morning, but in the Reptile house things went a little wrong. You found the largest snake with Piers but it wouldn't move so you left for something more interesting. I stayed and apologised to it pointlessly for how you acted. It replied and started moving to look at me and tell me where it was from and random things. I remember saying I knew what it was like to be raised in captivity and not know your parents just before Piers pushed me out of the way, shouting for you to come over. I glared at you, as you barrelled over to look at what the snake was doing, hating the way you bullied me stronger than usual in that instant. Accidental Magic and a bad temper are not two things you should let me mix. You ended up falling into the snakes exhibit as the glass vanished and the snake nipped at your ankles as he left. I was locked in my cupboard with no meals for a week after that and had no idea why the glass had vanished, even more so since magic was a forbidden word, and uncle Vernon threw a fit whenever it was mentioned only by me." Harry finished, glancing away from Dudley at the end to see if Draco had finished absorbing the knowledge about their fifth year and become distracted or not.

"No meals and locked in your cupboard for accidental magic?" Draco gasped, shocked by how different Harry's life was compared to what he'd assumed.

Harry grinned, "Yep, and locked in my room for a friend trying to phone. Although said friend was Ron and rather unused to telephone's so shouted as though you would if we were on opposite sides of a crowded and noisy hall and you wanted to get my attention. I'll just say Uncle Vernon was not pleased at all by it and Hermione never phoned after that because she heard of my Uncle's response from Ron." He said laughing at the memory a little.

Dudley laughed a little too, but was still tense over Draco's earlier response. "He really didn't have a clue, did he? I remember hearing the shouting through the phone and I was watching TV at that point."

"Well, he was just a bit too pureblood, even with a father strangely obsessed with muggle things, although you probably remember him, as well as Fred and George and their prank sweet." Harry added, knowing mentioning the things that had happened to the Dursley's because of how they treated him would calm any of Draco's anger down when he started reacting again.

Draco looked at Harry curiously. "Prank sweet from the matching pair? Just how many ways has your cousin suffered for the trouble of beating you up?" He asked.

"Ton tongue toffee, living room blown apart because Mr Weasley decided to connect the fireplace to the floo without checking with me, dementors, snake, pigs tail, and simple fear of magic, including a serial killer godfather, Aunt Marge flying out of the window, being sent on trips to things that aren't actually happening, being forced to live with strangers throughout the war once I went on the run." Harry listed, trying to remember anything else that happened. "Well let's just say a few people didn't like how they treated me and accidental magic was always on my side. Even if finding myself on the school roof that one time was a little disturbing."

Dudley snorted. "A few? We had you broken out by a flying car for your second year, run away after blowing up Aunt Marge in third with the Ministry checking up on you soon after, worrying, your godfather in fourth, well him and those red heads, you disappearing in fifth, apparently taken by someone for safety, those weird people who ordered us to treat you well when we picked you up for sixth. Who was that guy with the weird eye again?" He thought for a moment, "Did I forget to include that massive bloke who delivered your letter eventually and told you well, I'd guess a lot of the story I still don't know?" He finished.

Draco stared between the cousins. "Can I at least do something to your Uncle and Aunt, Harry? Please." He asked, apparently deciding Dudley was alright.

"Dad might be difficult to reach, he died of cancer last year. Mum, well I'd prefer you don't, because she will already kick up a fuss if she realises Cho is like Lily. I say Lily because that's when her hatred of magic started from some of the conversations we had while in hiding." Dudley explained, unsure whether he really would mind anything Draco would do too badly now he seemed to be calming down.

"Mum." Harry breathed, pausing. "We need to know if Cho really has given up magic before Draco can have his revenge. If she hasn't he'll find a way to manage it the Slytherin way, but he'll do that whatever just more subtley if he can't let Petunia be certain that magic is at the base of it." He decided, throwing a smile to his lover.

Draco beamed, already planning something, but deciding to change it a little in case he had to change it for Cho.

"Will this help you working out whether she's given up magic?" Dudley asked, pulling something out of his pocket, making Harry and Draco stare when they recognised it.

"Why do you have Cho's wand?" Draco gasped, trying to understand who in their right mind would let a muggle look after such a precious thing.

Carefully picking up the wand, Harry smiled. "She didn't just give it up, she rejected it entirely. Only her hand would be able to get the wand to work again and that would still take some work." He muttered, using a little of his own magic to test out what was strange about the wand.

"She rejected magic?" Dudley asked, shocked. From what he understood of the wizarding world it was a place that no one wanted to leave, but then he had only seen Harry's response to it.

"The wizarding world treated her badly, first it killed her boyfriend, then the saviour of the wizarding world kind of failed when they went out, but she cried a heck of a lot on that date and it was annoying, then she gets rejected by loads of people for being the friend of the girl who turned the DA in to Umbridge, and if that isn't enough gets faced with the bloody heroes clingy sort of girlfriend when it finally becomes time for the battle of a century, and treated like a hero after the battle is won along with all the other survivers of the battle but doesn't want the attention." Harry muttered, knowing he'd contemplated leaving the world of magic once or twice himself but never rejecting magic.

Dudley looked confused when Draco seemed to be supressing a laugh at Harry's wording. "Who is this hero who seems to have caused Cho so much trouble?" He asked, wondering if that was why Draco found something funny.

"YOU DON'T KNOW?" Draco yelled, looking completely shocked and gaping at the muggle in front of him, but Harry was rolling his eyes at Dudley, as though his question had been inevitable but stupid. "HARRY, HOW CAN HE NOT KNOW?"

Harry burst out laughing at that, even under Draco's indignant glare. "Because I never really felt like telling the family I had a massive vault of gold from my parents as well as fame and popularity because of a prophecy and being an orphan." He managed to gasp between laughs. "Telling them that would've been like telling them to steal my money and abuse any fame I could gather in order to get more."

Dudley looked between them. "Harry's that hero guy?" He asked, dumb with shock.

The black haired man put his head on the table. "Tell me when this conversation is over. I'm bored of you two having revelations about my life already." He groaned, wondering what would happen if he just left Draco and Dudley to chat without him.

"Request denied. Yes Harry is the boy who lived twice, chosen one, saviour of the wizarding world, and that hero guy. Thus the list of what you've been called grows Harry." Draco quipped, moving so he could wrap his arms around Harry in an attempt to make him look up again.

"Ask Big D for more suggestions if you like. Boy. Freak. What else did they call me? At least none were so bad as little duddykins." He muttered, watching Draco instead of raising his head to look at his cousin.

"Oy, it's not my fault my parents were rubbish about choosing names." Dudley protested laughing. "Besides I'm sure anyone who hated you probably called you far more things than that. Perhaps asking the guy you defeated might help, or did you kill him?"

"Killed him, with a disarming hex. Shame that worked to send the killing curse meant for me back at him." Harry replied calmly.

"I've called you more things than voldy ever did Harry. Anyway, enough revelations about Harry's poor tortured childhood. I'll get revenge on Petunia, Cho can carry on pretending she doesn't have magic and Dudley can go back to forgetting he has a cousin." Draco slipped in, deciding to let Harry off further conversation about things he obviously didn't want to discuss currently.

Dudley laughed, "That works, see you around Harry, Draco." He said, standing up and shaking hands with Draco as he headed to the door.

"Bye." Harry called, voting against seeing him out even if he was more cheerful than he had been at points in their conversation. Something said Draco still had more to add.

"I'm not happy with you hiding this Harry. Any of it." Draco said once they heard the front door shut, leaving them alone in the house once again.

Harry nodded, a little tiredly, going through emotions about the revelations too quickly not to exhaust him. "But you can understand why I hid it." He said calmly, knowing Draco would have worked it out.

"Yes, come on, you need some rest. Let's put a movie on and cry our hearts out at the end." He suggested, emotional films being the best remedy for Harry when he'd been through too many emotions at once.

Harry said nothing, but followed Malfoy through the house to the living room where he'd managed to get a television set working after a year of trying .


End file.
